Ten years ago, The Screech was the hottest lesbian band around, in the newest feature film from Cheryl Dunye (Watermelon Woman and Stranger Inside). But the mighty musicians have fallen into relative obscurity and unanticipated turmoil. Iris (Guinevere Turner) dreams of a comeback and drinks too much. MJ (Go Fish’s VS Brodie) is her ex, but neither of them can quite let go. Former bandmate Lily, played by Tick Tock Lullaby’s Lisa Gornick, and her partner Carol, played by Dunye, aren’t getting what they need from each other or from therapy—so, naturally, they’re trying to have a child together.

A pool party goes horribly wrong, as a shocking event knocks these longtime friends and lovers even further out of orbit. Generations collide with dangerous results for these Older, Wiser Lesbians or “OWLs.” Deak Evgenikos from Itty Bitty Titty Committee and Elena Undone’s Skyler Cooper round out an impressive and dreamy cast.

“What is my motivation?” It’s an acting cliché, but The Owls uses a unique blend of narrative and documentary to give us a character study that lets us get in the characters’ heads. The group behind the production may be just as revolutionary as the format: a collective banded together to explore a dynamic filmmaking process by creating a landmark lesbian film in just three weeks. Successfully three-dimensional characters emerge, who not only enact the plot but also let us in on their thoughts andmotivations. It’s a fascinating idea of what a new kind of queer film can look like.